Who knew a Wednesday night could be so funking great? For two hours and 45 minutes, Parliament-Funkadelic tore the proverbial roof off the House of Blues in Anaheim. The packed house was treated to a packed stage that, at one point, had over 20 musicians and singers dancing and grooving to the music that makes up the DNA of funk, rhythm and blues, hip-hop, rap, rock ‘n’ roll, and, of course, the genre called P-Funk.

Leading this collective was “Dr. Funkenstein” himself, the legendary George Clinton. A producer, writer, and performer so prolific that he was releasing music with Parliament and Funkadelic as separate bands before merging the two. At 83, seeing Clinton seated on a stool in the middle of the stage wasn’t entirely surprising. But this wasn’t the typical “center stage” up front—it was the true middle, like he was the center of the P-Funk universe. He was the sun around which the rest of the members of Parliament-Funkadelic revolved. From his seat, Clinton conducted the band, but there were moments when the funk compelled him to leap up, sing, dance, and get the audience to do the same.

The songs that are the foundation of funk—the songs that have been sampled countless times—were performed with astonishing energy. Nothing was phoned in, and nothing was half-assed. How could it be, with Clinton reminding everyone to “free your mind and your ass will follow”? Tracks like “One Nation Under a Groove,” “Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop),” “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker),” “Flashlight,” and “Atomic Dog” were brought to life by guitarist after guitarist and singer after singer, each delivering the funk and more.

Funkadelic has always been known for its blazing guitars, dating back to the early ‘70s with the pioneering work of Eddie Hazel. When Hazel left the band in the mid-‘70s, he was aptly replaced by a young Michael “Kidd Funkadelic” Hampton, who earned the gig by performing a perfect version of Hazel’s legendary ten-minute solo “Maggot Brain.” So, it was more than a treat to see Hampton take center stage at the start of the show and later perform his own epic version of “Maggot Brain.”

While Parliament-Funkadelic isn’t quite as outrageously wardrobed as in years past, there were still moments that reminded everyone this is not your average group of musicians. A guitarist with wings? That’s Garrett Shider, son of P-Funk’s guitarist/vocalist Garry Shider, aka Starchild, aka Diaper Man. A guitarist who eventually stripped down to nothing but his undershorts? That’s Traf Truth, Clinton’s grandson. Also part of the family was singer Shonda Clinton Drennen, Clinton’s granddaughter, who went through at least three costume changes during the show.

Parliament-Funkadelic is a very egalitarian band. Every singer got a chance to step into the spotlight. Every guitarist got to show their chops. Like the line in “Flashlight,” everybody got a little light under the sun.

The night was raucous. It was chaotic. It was genius. The genius of George Clinton.